Lacey Baldwin Smith, English History Made Brief, Irreverent, and Pleasurable
Allan Massie, The Royal Stuarts
William Rosen, The Most Powerful Idea in the World
Niall Ferguson, Empire
George Orwell, The Road to Wigan Pier

Goals and Objectives

Traditionally, when Americans study nations in Europe, the nation they
study first is Britain. There are obvious reasons for this, even after
Britain has lost its world role and most of its empire. The United States
began as a group of English colonies. Much of our culture today reflects
that origin, even in Texas. More specifically, those studying political
science and law look to Britain for the roots of the American legal system;
and English literature makes a lot more sense when Shakespeare or Wordsworth
can be put in their historical context. Studying the history of Britain
is thus an endeavor with obvious rewards.

This course will briefly look at the history of modern Britain, emphasizing
the major trends and personalities of the last 500 years and how they contributed
to the state that is Britain today. You will expected to understand

1. The basic geography and demography of the British isles.
2. The rise of Parliament and the development of constitutional monarchy.
3. The rise and decline of the British Empire.
4. The Industrial Revolution and the advent of industrial society.
5. The evolution of the 20th century welfare state.

Reading Assignments

The reading assignments should be completed on the week assigned to make
possible full comprehension of the lectures or participation in class discussion.

Attendance

While this course involves no specific policy for missing class in terms
of points taken from your grade for unexcused absences, there is generally
a direct correlation between regularity of class attendance and comprehension
of the material. You’re responsible for the information covered in class
whether you’re physically present to hear it or not. In the case of excessive
absences, the instructor has the option of administratively dropping you
from the course.

Tests

There will be a total of three tests during the semester. The final exam
will simply be the third test; it will be non-comprehensive.

Paper

The high standards of literacy expected of students in history classes
at McMurry subsume written expression as well as reading ability. Thus
you will be expected to compose two 4-5 page typed, double-spaced papers,
the first based on Massie’s The Royal Stuarts and the second on Rosen’s The Most Powerful Idea in the World. The specifics will be explained later in the semester.

Grade

The final grade will be computed as follows: 20% for each of the two midterms,
20% for each paper, and 20% for the final exam. The grade scale will be
A: 90 to 100, B: 80 to 89, C: 70 to 79, D: 60 to 69, F: 59 and below. Within
those parameters, plus and minus grades will be given: A: 93-100, A-: 90-92,
B+: 87-89, B: 83-86, B-: 80-82, etc. There will be no A+ grades and no plus or minus grades for an F. Borderline
cases (e.g., 89.6 or 79.8) will be decided on the basis of improvement in the course,
class participation, and regularity of attendance. Note that to get credit
for this course in your major, as with all courses in all majors, you’ll
need a final grade of a C or better. A final grade of C- is not considered adequate for this course to count
toward your major requirements.

Students with Disabilities

McMurry University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
which stipulates that no otherwise qualified student shall be denied the
benefits of an education “solely by reason of a handicap.” If you have
a documented disability that may impact your performance in this class
and for which you may be requesting accommodation, you must be registered
with and provide documentation of your disability to the Disability Services
Office, located in Old Main Room 102. Arrangements will be made for students
needing special accommodations.

State Board of Educator Certification Standards for Teacher Education Candidates
If you plan to minor in Curriculum and Instruction, with a teaching concentration
in History 8-12, or in Social Studies 8-12, this course provides partial fulfillment of the following standard of
the TEKS competencies:

Standard IV. History: The social studies teacher applies knowledge of significant historical
events and developments, as well as of multiple historical interpretations
and ideas, in order to facilitate student understanding of relationships
between the past, the present, and the future.

Proposed Reading and Lecture Schedule

Aug. 28
Aug. 30

Introduction
Historical Background — I

Smith, 1-38, 191-210

Sept. 4
Sept. 6

Historical Background — II
The First Tudor

Smith, 39-51, 210-213
Massie, 1-102

Sept. 11
Sept. 13

Henry VIII
The Reformation after Henry

Smith, 51-58, 213-217
Massie, 103-143

Sept. 18
Sept. 20

The Virgin Queen
The Road to the Civil War

Smith, 58-71, 217-221
Massie, 144-225

Sept. 25
Sept. 27

From Revolution to Restoration
The Glorious Revolution

Smith, 71-98, 221-227
Massie, 225-294, 321-327

Oct. 2
Oct. 4

First Test
Four Georges: The Hanoverians

Smith, 99-103, 228-234

Oct. 9

Paper on Massie due

Oct. 9
Oct. 11

The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire
The Industrial Revolution and the Condition of England